Soldrol the Heartbreaker
Soldrol the Heartbreaker is a male human barbarian and an NPC in the Emeron campaign. Summary Soldrol the Heartbreaker was a subordinate of Mingolf the Soulcrusher. He led a force of Galmarian troops in the Battle of Hardale. He was captured and installed in the dungeons of Summerwind Hall. Background Soldrol was born and raised among the Rockwater Tribe in the Plains of Galmar north of the Tribarc River. A strapping boy he grew to be especially tall and powerful. He believed in the power of personal strength and grew to be a powerful warrior. He performed several feats of strength and arms, which earned him some notoriety among the tribe. He wielded a huge maul in combat, and often used it to crush the ribcages of his enemies in combat. This tendency earned him the nickname "the Heartbreaker." Mingolf the Soulcrusher One day a Galmari named Mingolf came to the Rockwater Tribe and declared that they would serve him. He had at his back a large number of undead and a death knight he called General Lizmont. The chief of the tribe, a warrior named Huutsik, refused this demand and Mingolf challenged him for the right of leadership of the tribe. Huutsik accepted but the fight was only a few moments. With a word and a light touch, Mingolf slew Huutsik. Thereafter Mingolf was head of the tribe. Soldrol did not care for Mingolf, but he was wary of the display of power. Over the next few years he watched as others challenged Mingolf for primacy of the Rockwater Tribe and all fell before him. Torvol, the tribe's greatest and most celebrated warrior, was one of the challengers. Torvol struck a blow that nearly severed MIngolf's head. However the strange barbarian merely rose again a few moments later and killed Torvol. Soldrol may not like or trust Mingolf, and he has strong faith in his abilities, but he had no desire to directly challenge the lethal Galmarian and so followed him. The Campaign Against Lurinlund In Lion of 1159 Mingolf the Soulcrusher declared that he would lead the Rockwater Tribe in a conquest of the Kingdom of Emeron. He led a massive army of undead and the tribe's warriors towards the border of Lurinlund. Mingolf named Soldrol the head of the Galmarian forces. The dwarves of Fort Hammercrush saw the force marching and alerted the humans of Lurinlund of the approaching army and they rallied an army to march to the Plains of Galmar and intercept them. First Battle of Undying Rage In response to Mingolf's approaching army Baronial Marshal Sir Valin Taire hastily raised a host of 3,500 troops (a mix of soldiers and conscripts) and marched east to engage Mingolf's forces. Soldrol led his Galmarian Horseman and managed to flank Sir Valin's force and break their lines. Nearly 1,100 Emeronians died, including Sir Valin. The army retreated to Hardale and the dead were raised to bolster Mingolf's ranks. Second Battle of Undying Rage Newly appointed Duke Geoffry Ravenut ordered Sir Winston Templeton, the marshal of Fulton, to march Fulton's forces to Hardale to rally the remnants of Sir Valin's army and march east again. The orders stipulated specifically that the enemy army was not to cross the Emeronian border under any circumstances, which limited Sir Winston's tactical options. On the 24th of Lion Sir Winston’s host of 3817 (the 2417 survivors of Sir Valin’s army plus 1400 Fulton Conscripts) engaged Mingolf’s undead. Since Sir Winston was forced by his orders to fight on the open field, he attempted to maneuver to the foothills of the Dwarven Mountains with the intent to lure the enemy to him there and use the terrain to the best of his ability, however he found that the enemy had anticipated this and claimed the high ground, forcing Sir Winston to fight upon the open field and defend against the Galmarians on the hill. The battle was a victory for Mingolf, with Emeronian losses of nearly 2,200 men (whom Mingolf later raised). During the fighting Sir Winston engaged Elizabeth Montfort, now called General Lizmont, personally to allow time for his men to retreat. When he found out who she actually was he faltered briefly out of shock, which proved his undoing as the death knight struck him down. The surviving 1624 men retreat to Hardale. The Battle of Hardale See also: The Battle of Hardale Emboldened by his two victories Mingolf marched his army, now numbering around 5,000 undead and Galmari warriors directly to Hardale. He sent out groups of Galmari Horseman and packs of Ghouls to harry the retreating forces along the way until they reached the town. Mingolf had a spy in Hardale in the form of Yunalin Slatebelt, whose mission was to weaken the town internally before his arrival to pave the way for an easier conquest. He anticipated that a demoralized army, and fractured and terrified citizens would not put up much of a fight. However, Mingolf did not expect the Joined of Vesper to take command of the army, unveil Yunalin and mitigate the damage she had done. Still, between his divine magic and spies, MIngolf knew it was Sir Winston's adopted niece, Edella Montfort, who had been placed in command of the defense of Hardale, and he gleefully considered how to dispirit her on the eve of battle. Before the battle he rode to Hardale for a parley where he delighted in parading the zombified corpse of Sir Valin, presenting Edella with the head of Sir Winston Templeton and the revelation that General Lizmont was actually her mother. Despite having no siege engines Mingolf was confident he could breach the walls and take Hardale. He ordered a hundred Galmarians to position north of the town to slaughter any innocents attempting to flee north into the Dwarven Mountains. The rest were sent to the west wall under the Soldrol's command. Soldrol possessed a powerful magical maul that would allow him to physically batter down the gates. The battle quickly went poorly for the Galmarins however. A force of 300 dwarves under the command of Ambassador Throt Goldaxe snuck out of Hardale before down and slew the Galmarians north of the city. By daybreak they had joined the Lurinlund Soldiers under the command of Delilah Farmeski and the Lurinlund Cavalry under Beybulat Tasho and struck Soldrol's forces full on. Soldrol and his forces put up a hard fight, but with the additional missile fire from the walls his men did not even reach the western gates of Hardale. Soldrol himself was beaten to unconsciousness when physically overwhelmed by enemy forces. Even still, he slew at least a dozen men before succumbing to his injuries and getting captured. After the battle he was installed in the dungeons of Summerwind Hall. Personality and Abilities Soldrol is a strong believer of "might makes right." He followed MIngolf because he proved himself the strongest by routinely defeating those who would oppose him. Likewise, he commanded his men using fear and intimidation, figuring that they would betray or try to supplant him if he showed himself weak. Soldrol was a mountain of a man, standing 6'9" and weighing well over 250 lbs of solid muscle. He was a powerful and fearsome warrior, wreaking havoc with his maul on the battlefield. He was also highly skilled at many physical pursuits including riding, climbing and swimming. Category:Characters Category:NPCs Category:Emeron